Projector for liquid and pulverulent or small material



Dec. 28, 1948. .e. s. HIGGINSON 2,457,557

PROJECTOR FOR LIQUID AND PULVERULENT OR SMALL MAT ERIAL Filed Sept. 2;, 1944 V 5 Shets-Sheet 1 Altorney Dec. 2 8, 1948. e. s. HIGGINSON PROJECTOR FOR LIQUID AND PULVERULENT 0R SMALL MATERIAL' Filed Sept. 22, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n qentor JzJ SO/L Attorney Geo/ye 6- be Dec. 28, 1948. G. s. HIGGINSON PROJECTOR FOR LIQUID AND PULVERULENT OR SMALL MATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 22, 1944 In mentor dflwvzzaawz A ltorney o GQa/ye Dec. 28, 1948. ejs. HIGGINSON' I 2,457,557

I PROJECTOR FOR LIQUID AND PULVERULENT 0R SMALL MATERIAL Filed Sept. 22, 1944 V 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor Dec. 28, 194:8. G. s. HIGGINSON 2,457,557

v PROJECTOR FOR LIQUID AND PULVERULENT 0R SMALL MATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 22, 1944 A ltorrxey Patented Dec. 28, 1948 PROJECTOR FOR LIQUID AND PULVERU- LENT OR SMALL MATERIAL George Seymour Higginson, Ilford, England, as-

signor of one-half to Guy Stedman May Ashby, Hermitage, England Application September 22, 1944, Serial No. 555,364

In Great Britain September 24, 1943 The primary object of the present invention is to provide a projector or mixer for liquids and for pulverulent, granular, powdered and like divided material, such as pulverulent fuel or small fuel,

12 Claims. (Cl. 259-18) required to be projected or sprayed. For example, a projector according to the invention may be adapted to operate as a burner for liquid, pulverulent (or small) or colloidal fuel (an oil and wherein thorough atomisation or fine disintegra- 5 pulverised fuel mixture) or for a mixture of fuels tion and dispersal and mixing of liquid throughsuch as anthracite dust and bituminous fuel. out the volume of a projected jet and thorough When the projector is used as a burner the dispersion and mixing of pulverulent and other particles of the final jet introduced into a hot divided material throughout the volume of a furnace are immediately gasified and ignited projected jet is obtained. owing to their being freely dispersed throughout According to the invention jets consisting of the the jet and are completely burnt or nearly so by material to be projected and air, various gases or the time they sink to the furnace bottom. Pristeam are directed towards each other directly or mary air for the combustion is supplied with the relatively obliquely so that the particles of mafuel when air is used wholly 01' partly as the fuel terial in the jets collide and bounce relatively l5 impellent for one or bothof the opposed jets whereby they are caused to disperse throughout and secondary air is introduced into the furnace the volume of the combined jet resulting from preferably at low velocity in any suitable manner, the meeting of the opposed jets. When the said for example, secondary air may flow into the furmaterial comprises or consists of liquid liquid parnace through the bottom thereof. When steam is ticles are formed in the original jets and when the used Wholly or partly as the impellent water gas particles in the opposed jets collide they are may be formed in the furnace and is ignited. further disintegrated or atomised. To a lesser Primary air and/or steam may be supplied degree division of solid particles, such as agglomthrough a nozzle independently of the fuel. erated particles, occurs when the particles collide The jets may be continuous or intermittent. In at the confluence of the jets and immediately most cases they will be intermittent. The jets thereafter. The zone at which the jets meet may may be flat, round or of other suitable cross secbe in a chamber having an outlet orifice for the tion and the final jet is preferably substantially combined jet. The shape of the orifices defining flat with divergent sides. the opposed jets and the shape of a nozzle defin- In manufacturing quicklime, cement and the ing the final jet if the latter nozzle be prolike, reducing metallic oxides and carbonising vided, are preferably such that the final jet is subcoal the limestone, oxide or coal is projected in stantially flat with divergent sides. finely divided form into the chamber in which The invention also comprises a projector for the requisite treatment is to be effected, said liquid material and/ or for pulverulent or small chamber being hot and air, gas or steam that may material, comprising a cylindrical rotor in which be necessary for the treatment is either included a e a er O angulally longitudinal in one or both or more of the original jets or is pockets, said pockets being adapted to receive the introduced into the treating chamber by one or material to be projected, and valve means adapted more nozzles separate from the projector. An to supply pressure fluid to each pocket in the important feature of such treatment may include vicinity of the bottom thereof tant l y the provision of such a temperature in the treatthroughout the whole of the length thereof when ing chamber that the particles, being dispersed the pocket attains a predetermined position durthroughout the volume of the combined jet, are ing turning of the rotor whereby the pockets are exposed on all sides to the heat with the result successively emptied of their contents by the that they explode or. disintegrate, thus being pressure fluid. further finely divided. In some cases one or more A projector for carrying out the above method jets may comprise limestone, for example, and according to the invention comprises two or more another or others coal. of the cylindrical rotors, said rotors being set to The invention will now be described with referdirect their jets in opposed or convergent direcence to the example illustrated in the accompanytions and being so timed relatively that the dising drawings wherein: charge of the contents of a pocket of each occurs Figs. 1 and 1a together show a sectional elevasimultaneously whereby the resulting, simultanetion of a two-rotor projector, the plane of section ously occurring jets impinge on each other. approximately coinciding with the vertical The invention hasmany industrial applications median plane thereof; where liquid and/or powdered or like material is Fig. 21s a plan view;

The projector comprises a part-cylindrical .case i in which are-two longitudinal bores 2, 3, one

above the other, which meet at the longitudinal; axis of the cylinder, the aXes of the bores being i-1'0 case has two mouths 4, 5 intermed'iaitelo :ofja'ts in the vertical plane containingtthis'axis. :The

ends, which mouths communicate with the bores 2, 3, respectively, and at the. 'sifde Substantially opposite to that in which the mouths are formed has a divergent discharge opening 6 communieating at its narrowest part with'the lowerportion of the upper bore 2 and the upper-portion of'the lower bore 3. The ends I of the said .opening 6 are also divergent as will be clear by reference to Fig. 2 and are between the ends of the said case.

Within the casexl is a lineri8. The case and the liner may be .boltedtogether or I maybe shrunk onto .8. The liner fits within .the bores 2,, "ii-rand within ,the. narrowest part of .the opening It has longitudinal..openings .9. and 310 communicating with .theinner .ends .of .'the-.mouths '4 respectively, a divergent opening 7H reg'istering with .the .openinglfi from-endto .end thereof, part of the .walls of. the opening/l 'l .liningthe narrower part of the said opening 16., and two. longitudinal slots l2 and 13 .at the throat of the opening H. The slots J2 and l'3-.are-ab,out.as long as .thesaid throat; they are.substantiallyradial with respect to the axes of the .respectivebores and con-verge towards each -.otheras will be .clear .byence to.Fig.-4.

.T-he opening H .and thematerial of theliner B defining .it =form the main discharge .nozzle of the projector. .The slots -I.2..and -13 -.and-the material .of the liner-defining them torm lele mental nozzles which discharge .intothe throat of the main discharge nozzle, the general -direction .of the elemental nozzles heingaslightlyinclined towards the wider for discharge .endof the main nozzle.

The rotors, which are .substantially alike, .are indicated at It and I6. Eachhomprises-.a. .central part .l] which ,is :a to1erance. fit.=in-.-the liner in a bore -.2 or..3, reducedlend portions-zas -.|8,.1l,8 which lie between the Said? central part and valve plates 1.9 iand.2fl,.a-nd further reducedend portions 21 which extend through the .valveplates and through bearings .as22, :saidbearings supporting the rotors. The valveplates .arecircular .and lie in the bores of the .lining .B. The bearings .are mountedjin end plates.'.23,.2'3-.24,f24, which butt against the valve ;.plat.es and ..are .secured .to .the linertlby screws'T-i.

One reducedendizl .of each rotor extends well beyond its corresponding bearing .22 and .has .a toothed wheel .26 .aflixed. vThe two wheels I26 intermesh; one o.f.them..-meshes-with.a spur wheel Z'irigid with aworm wheel..28. .Bearings3-fl carried bya spigot}! support the wheels 21. and .28. A worm ,fizmes'hing with the wheelzfi'isadapted to drive thelatter, the worm shaft being mounted in bearings carried Joyan ..end..c,ap 3 3 secured to thecase L The saidendcap 1135-2. -.welmtii which is suitably apertured to accommodate the .-hubs of .the wheels. 26 ;-and..the spigdtlS] .ismounted on this web ,.,the..mountin .comprising fixing screws 35. The end '36 o'f.the .Wormshaftis.adaptedto be coupled 'to any suitabledriving means, not shown, such as an electricmotor. "IlIhus, when the worm is rotated the rotors are turned in 0pposite directions by the toothed wheels 26. In practice the worm drive is such that the rotor 15 turns clockwise and the rotor l6 contra-clockwise (Fig. 4)

The pockets provided in the rotors are indicated at 37. "The sides of ea'dh pochetiare fdiyergent, the bottom is rounded and the mouth' is in the surface of the rotor. The median planes of the pockets are tangential to a small imaginary circle having its centre iinithe rotor axis, the inclinations infitheisaidiplanes being such that the mouths of thepockets are in advance of the rounded bot- "toms .thereof in'the direction of rotation. The

endsitfisof .thepockets diverge slightly as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The-portion of each rotor lying between the 'valve plates'w and 20 is longitudinally bored and slotted to zprovide conduits 39 one for each pocket.

The slotted portions of the conduits open to the saidpockets along the whole of the bottom of the latter whilst the ends of ".thesaid conduits face the valve .pla'tes. .These conduits enablepressure fluid to be introduced into the 7 pockets .at .the bottoms thereof. I

.The pressure fluidjs controlled in .the .iirstinstance .by aplug valve .01 .thelike llllneountedon an end cap-M :secured to thecase l. The valve has two in-lets 130*, I40 for pressure fluid sand-is preferably of a type such {thatfluid-iromeither inlet .can be supplied .to the .poriketsoriiuidfrom one inlet ,can. be supplied .to the pockets of one rotor .and .fiuid .from .the other :inlet to .the .other rotor. Thus, if different. fluids are .used, such was airandasteamair may besuppliedto the pockets of either .rotorand steam to thepockets :of the other rotor'or either of .these fluids may be .supplied to bothwrotors. 7

The valve :outflow passages .are: indicated at .42 and 43. The outer'ends oftthe'passages directly communicate :withchambers it in the :end plates 23, .and communicate with chambers-:15 in the endgplates 24 by wayof lateral bores ,66 and i 'l in :the said-end plates, :tubes 48. on the end caps 4-l--iand..-3,3rand-longitudinal bores-49 in the linerJB.

Each valveplate has two .chambers 66 and Bi communicating with :each other by way -10f incli-ned boresB1-2:in thesaidplates. The chambers 60 ii-n.thevalve1jp1ates l9 communicate with the chambers--44 by way 'of passages 63 in the end plate 23 and theachambers-lfii in the valve plates 20 communicatewith the chambers 45 by way-oi passagesfifl in the endgplateil i.

.It-willnow be clear that all chambersML-M'and 60,361 are-ikept charged withrpressure fluid when the'valve 3.8 is opened. In order to prevent the escape :of thisJfl-uid between the plugwESSbfTthe valve rand the end :plates 23, "between the end plates-: andfthe adjacent valve plates, between the valveplateswan'dthereducedends i 8 of. the rotor and-at joints between the conduits 46 and the tubes at andbetween .the tubes and the bores 4-9, the said chambers. and the said joints arerproidded withsealing .cups as .56. The-bases of the cups are forced against the plane faces of: the adjacent membersand the walls .are expanded into contact with the-sides .or the chamberssby thepressure of the .fluid ..in the chambers receiving :-the -.cups, therebypreventingleakage.

The zchambersfil .-.are solocatedthat the .con-

duits .3 9 1 in .the rotor il 5 successively .regis-ter with the .saidehambers .in .the upper valve plates and the conduitsinthe rotor J.6 successively-register with the cha-mbers in the lower wal-v-e plates as the .rotors turn-.sothatr-the said .conduitssucv cessively receive charges of pressure fluid which they conduct to the bottoms of their pockets along the whole of the length thereof. Moreover, the location of the chambers 6| is such that the pockets which so receive charges of pressure fluid are the pockets in register or about to register with the elemental nozzles 2 and I3.

The zone at which the conduits for each rotor register with their chambers 6| is angularly adjustable to enable the amount by which this zone precedes the relative registration between successive pockets and the elemental nozzles to be adjusted. For this purpose the valve plates have limited rotation around the rotor axes. Rotation is effected by connecting rods 10 the small ends of which are connected to the valve plates at 7| and the big ends of which contain eccentrics 12. The eccentrics for the upper rods are on a longitudinal shaft 13 and those for the lower rods are on a longitudinal shaft 14, said shafts being supported by bores in the case and by a bearing on the end cap 4|. The shafts project from the end cap 4| and the projecting parts have handles 16- whereby the shafts can be rotated. Rotation of the shafts reciprocates the connecting rods and the rods oscillate the valve plates, thus enabling the position of the chambers 6| to be altered to the required degree.

' Packing 80 held in place by clamping rings 8| is arranged around the reduced ends I 8 of the rotors, said packing making sealing contact with the adjacent parts of the liner 8.

The projector is associated with a hopper, not shown, adapted to deliver material to be projected to the mouths 4 and 5. If it is desired to mix separate material and to project the mixture the hopper has a partition which registers with the web I separating the mouths 4 and and which separates the hopper into two compartments, one for one material and one for the other.

In use, the projector is supplied with the re quired pressure fluid or fluids by way of the control valve 40 and the worm 32 is driven. Driving the worm shaft causes the rotors to turn in the manner previously described. As the pockets 3'! traverse the openings 9 and ID they pick up material therein and as the ends of the conduits successively register with the chambers 6| the conduits and the pockets receive a charge of pressure fluid. The picked up material and the said charges are trapped in the pockets by the liner until they communicate with the elemental nozzles I2 and I3. Immediately this happens the pressure fluid is able to empty the pockets through the said nozzles, the said fluid mixing with the particles of the material in them. Each elemental nozzle, therefore, produces a jet of considerably greater length than width. Owing to the relative incidence of the nozzles I2- and I3 and to the fact that a pocket in each rotor registers with its elemental nozzle at the same moment as that with which a nozzle in the other rotor registers with its nozzle, the jets meet each other obliquely, long edge on, at the throat of the opening l I and emerge therefrom and from the opening 6 as a single jet of sheet-like form.

Liquid if comprised in the opposed jets is partly atomised by being caused to issue from the nozzles l2 and I3 under pressure but the atomisation is completed and the resulting particles homogeneously dispersed and mixed throughout the Volume of the combined jet owing to the collision of the particles relatively and to their relative bouncing. Similarly, when pulverulent or like material is projected, or a mixture of liquid and pulverised solid material, the solid particles collide and'bounce relatively and are mixed in 'a' in the liner are sharp and so are the trailing edges of the mouths of the pockets 31. Thus, the said edges exert a shearing or scissor-like action on particles .of fuel projecting from the mouths of the pockets. The width of the pocket mouths may be governed or adjusted so that particles of fuel over a predetermined size cannot completely enter the pockets and as a result of the said shearing action are reduced to smaller particles which can freely enter the said pockets.

The nozzles I2 and I3 may be so set relatively that they oppose each other directly. Their position may be fixed permanently or, if desired, they may be adjustable as to relative incidence, e. g., they may be in rotatable elements. The relative setting of the nozzles is a factor determining the lengthof the final jet and is such as to suit the longitudinal dimension of the apparatus with which the projector is associated.

The median planes of the pockets 31 may be radial. In order to keep the spaces between the rotors and their bearings clean the rotors may have bleed holes communicating with the said spaces and the bores through which the impellant passes on its way tothepockets.

In modifications of the projector shown the individual jets may directly enter the furnace or other chamber instead of previously combining in a:chamber communicating with the furnace chamber or the like; the metal around the rotors, or at least the metal around the rotors at the discharge zone of the pockets, may be so shaped (e. g., thin) as to have little or no influence in shaping the jets, the pockets then being the equivalent of elemental nozzles. The jets in this latter construction may meet in the throat of a main nozzle as H or may enter the furnace or other chamber directly.

The liner 8 may be made in two parts each adapted to be turned around the axis of its rotor whereby the angular position of the elemental nozzles and, therefore, the relative incidence of the jets, can be adjusted as required.

'Asingle rotor projector may be constructed from parts substantially as those described with reference to the drawing. That is to say a single rotor projector may comprise a case having a lined bore in which a rotor as IE or IE is located, valve meansv adapted to supply pressure fluid to the pockets and driving means for the rotor, the rotor being a tolerance fit in the bore and the bore having an opening as l5 or It and a slot as l2 or l3... The slot as i2 or l3 may be located in any suitable position, for example, in the horizontal plane of the liner. The valve plates as I9, 20 may be adjustable as described with reference to the drawingsand so may the liner.

What I claim is:

l. A projector for fluid materials comprising a cylindrical rotor in which are a number of angularly spaced, lonitudinal pockets, said pockets being adapted to receive the material to be projected, and valvecontrolled means for supplying fluid under superatmospheric pressure to each pocket in the vicinity of the end of each pocket toward the axis of the rotor and substantially throughout the whole of the length thereof when the pocket attains a predetermined position during turning of the rotor.

2. A projector for fluid materials comprising a plurality of parallel rotors, each of said rotors tndinaltrpoclcets :adapted 'toirreceive material to be projected, :means for rotating "said rotors, *vzal-ve controlled means for "supplying fiuidrunderzsuperatmospheric pressure to pockets :of each *ofsaid rotors to :project the material in jets therefrom upon predetermined zrotati'onof the urotors, said rutorsibeing set rtocdirlect their'j'etsiinfimpinging directions iand'iben'rgso timed relatively that the discharge-of the lcontents L'of a'poolcet of each occurs simultaneously whereby .the :resulting simultaneously occurring jets impinge on :each other, mold a main nozzla'nitlre throatzroi rsaidzrnain nozzlezrbeing locatedrat .t 'el zone at which the simultaneously occurring jets are :arranged "to meet.

64. A ZPI'GjBCtOI according to claim T2,:comprising a pocket-shutting element around :each :rotor each 20f said elements having a longitudinal slot and tbeing 7 adapted to :trap the contents .of r the pockets :until "the pockets :register'withthe slot.

35. Aproj ecto-raccprding 'to claim 2, comprising aipocketeshutting element around eachrotor reach of said -e'lements' having a. longitudinal solt :and beingadapted to trap'fbhe contents of the'pockets until 'the pocketszregisteruwiththe slot and said slots fleeing set to direct the "jets in ioppose'dtdi-i rections. Y 6. projector for'flui'd materials scomprising a plurality ofxparallelrotors, each of saidrotors having a multiplicity of angularly zspaced longi: tudinal pockets adapted to receive material to be projected, means for "rotating saidrotors,- valve controlled means for supplying ifiuid underrsuper-' atmospheric pressure rotors to project the material injets'therefrom upon predtermined rotation of the rotors", said ro'torsifbeing =set'to 'directitheir jets in impinging directions-and being so timed relatively that the discharge of the contents of a pocket of each occurs simultaneously whereby the resulting, simultaneously occurring jets impingeon each ethen'an'd a main nozzle, the throat of said main nozzle' being' located at the zone at which the simultaneously occurring jets are'arran'ged to meet, said main nozzle being shapedto impart a sheet hke form to "the combined jet issuing from it. 1

7. lk-projector accordin'gto 'cl'aim'i2, comprising a pocket-shutting element: around :eachrotoneach havingrammltinlicity ofaarrgnlarlycspaced:long tud'ina l (pockets adapted :to'receive' nxaterialv to be proJected, valve controlled means to pockets of each of said of ssaid felements 1 having a longitudinal slot and I being "adapted to trap thecontentsrof'the pockets irnltirthe pockets megisterewithstheislouesaid 1618- spaced longitudinal pockets and a like inumberioflongitudinal conduits extending from end :to lend,'

the conduits communicating-With the bottoms-of the poclsets andvalv-e plates at the ends ofrsa-id body: part,- saidvalneplates havin chambers-with which the endswof the conduits successivelyrregisteras therotorz-turns; the chambers-being adapted tobe supplied :with the pressure provided, with sealing means preventing escape of :the said fluid irom them x-between-the valve platesand the ends of the said b'odypart.

-9. Aipr-oj ector according to claim -8,-. said-sealing means comprising sealing cups 2 arranged in-.-the said chambers. I

, -,1i0.-.A;;proj-ector according to claim 8 wherein the valveplates *are adapted to .be rotated-the. ;rota tion altering the position 10f thezone .at which; the conduits register --With=the.-chambers 11. :Aprojector according to claim 2=provided with a control valveior fluid, said valve being adapted to a supply either fluids-to :b'oth rotors or oner-fluid -to one rotor and therotherfluidtoanothertrotor. r

12. A projector a'ccordingi-to claim- 2, comprising a -case,;said" case vhaving two-parallellongitudinal bores; said iboreshaving linings, rotors inethejina ings, valve plates at the ends of the rotors-and end plates adjacent the outer faces of the-valve plates, said endplates carryingebearings-zfor the rotors, fluid "-rlow passages iii-the end plates for conveying pressure fluid'to the chambers in --.the va-lve plates and sealing "means (erg. sealing-cups between the valve plates and theends of said flow passages adapted to prevent-the-escapesof pressure fluid betweenthewalve platessand-zthe end plates.

- GEORGE"SEYMOUR'HIGGINSQN.

v nnrnnnncns siren l ne :ifollow-ing 1 references are of record" in the frle :of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name fDate mam -C1'amer --Dec. 20, .1904 1,742,116 .Meyer Jan. 7, 1930 71,335,283 Crickm'er Dec. -8, 19 31 .-2 ,l 6;l,553 westbergwet sal. 6.. 1 9.39 2;165,084 Wendeborn, July '4, ,1939

2110;6'18 gCohoe Aug. '2 2 1939 22,1511366 Ahlmann .-.Se,1 1 t. 26, .1939 318,539 'Hi-ll g Nov. -'7,, .193 9 AZZHOJB TO Ditto l :J an. 2 7 1942 2,319,830 Sampsell v May :25, .l943

fluid and leeing two kinds of pressure 

